Auto Maintenance Tips to Keep Yourself Safe on the Road

Owning a car comes with a wonderful sense of independence—and a bunch of responsibilities. In addition to registration and car insurance, you must ensure that you take proper care of your car, not just to keep your car in good condition, but for your own safety and the safety of your passengers. You cannot neglect the essentials: tuneups, oil changes, and all the other small-­yet-­important auto maintenance tasks. There are other issues to take care of, however, if you want to be as safe as possible when you’re on the road. Here are a few do­-it-­yourself auto maintenance tips to follow in order to help stay safe on the road.

● Ensure your tires are inflated.​ This will prevent flat tires and accidents while also improving gas mileage. Do this on a regular basis, and make sure you don’t overinflate­­, as this could lead to a blowout on the road, which is not only scary, but dangerous as well. You can find a guide here if you need more details.

● Check for leaks. ​Are there spots under your vehicle? Look for leaks from oil pans or transmission fluids. If you do find a leak, you should consult a mechanic before driving.

● Keep all necessary tools in the car. ​Include jumper cables, a jack, a jack cranking tool, a lug wrench, and a container legally fit for holding gas. It’s also a good idea to keep flares on hand so you can be seen if you need to perform repairs on the side of the road. Of course, you should learn how to use these tools properly, including how to use jumper cables, because improper usage could lead to injury or harm your automobile.

● Check your lighting.​ Do your headlights, brake lights, taillights, and turn signals all function properly? Make sure they do before you head out.

● Adjust your seat and mirrors. ​Make sure you can comfortably reach the pedals and adjust your rear and side mirrors so you can see behind and beside you.

Take good care of your car, and it will take good care of you! For affordable and high-­quality auto maintenance from an attentive and friendly company, come on in to Grease Monkey of Battle Ground, Washington, no appointment needed. We look forward to helping you in any way we can.